Metsä Board has completed the modernisation project at its Simpele folding boxboard (FBB) mill. The upgraded board machine is now fully operational, and the enhanced MetsäBoard Classic FBB is available for customer deliveries, the company announced, underlining that this start-up represents a milestone in product performance improvement and carbon footprint reduction.
In total, Metsä Board invested €60m in the complete rebuild of the board machine’s coating section, expansion of the coating colour kitchen, and the installation of a new pallet packaging line.
The introduction of modern curtain coating technology enhances print quality and visual uniformity, while at the same time raising the use of fossil-free energy from 89 to 98 per cent. According to earlier information, the project also aimed to increase the mill’s production capacity for fresh fibre board by around 10,000 tpy from the previous level of 300,000 tpy.
Esa Kaikkonen, CEO at Metsä Board, views the investment as a strategic advantage for brands navigating evolving packaging demands and tightening regulations: “Our customers face increasing pressure to meet stricter sustainability and safety standards, while also managing cost efficiency and waste reduction. We want to help our customers stay ahead and lead the pack – by offering solutions that are safe, reliable, and deliver excellent material efficiency, with a high-quality print surface for brand promotion. That’s also the aim with our Simpele investment, which is now completed.”
In contrast, Metsä Board has abandoned the planned investments at its Husum mill in Sweden and Kyro mill in Finland. The cancellation was part of a €200m cost-saving programme announced by Metsä Board in early October 2025.
